Acacia multisiliqua facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Acacia multisiliqua |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Acacia
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| Species: |
multisiliqua
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| Occurrence data from AVH | |
Acacia multisiliqua is a type of shrub or small tree that belongs to the Acacia family. It is found only in northern Australia. This plant is special because it grows naturally in this specific area and nowhere else in the world.
What Does Acacia multisiliqua Look Like?
This plant can be a thin shrub or a slender tree. It usually grows to be about 1 to 5 meters (3 to 16 feet) tall. If it's growing near the coast, it might spread out low to the ground.
Like most Acacia plants, it doesn't have regular leaves. Instead, it has what are called phyllodes. These are flattened leaf stems that act like leaves. The phyllodes of Acacia multisiliqua are tough and stay green all year. They are shaped like a long oval, sometimes curving a little.
These phyllodes are typically 3 to 7 centimeters (1.2 to 2.8 inches) long and 4 to 10 millimeters (0.16 to 0.39 inches) wide. They have one to three main lines (veins) running along them, plus a few other fainter ones.
The plant blooms from February to August, showing off its yellow flowers. The flowers grow in simple, round clusters called flower-heads. Each flower-head is about 4 to 6 millimeters (0.16 to 0.24 inches) across. They contain 25 to 40 bright golden flowers.
After the flowers, thin, papery seed pods form. These pods are long and narrow, but they bulge out where each seed is and are squeezed in between the seeds. The pods can grow up to about 6.5 centimeters (2.6 inches) long and 3 to 7 millimeters (0.12 to 0.28 inches) wide. Inside, the seeds are dull black and shaped like an oval. They are 4.5 to 5.5 millimeters (0.18 to 0.22 inches) long. Each seed has a club-shaped aril, which is a fleshy covering.
How Is Acacia multisiliqua Related to Other Plants?
Acacia multisiliqua is closely related to a few other Acacia species. These include Acacia burrana, Acacia complanata, and Acacia simsii. Being "allied with" means they share similar characteristics or a common ancestor.
Where Does Acacia multisiliqua Grow?
This plant is found in different spots across northern Australia. You can see it in the Northern Territory, the Kimberley region of Western Australia, and northern Queensland.
It often grows on rocky or stony slopes. It likes soils made of alluvium (soil deposited by rivers), or soils over sandstone or laterite (types of rock and soil). In drier areas, it's usually part of open woodland communities, which are forests with widely spaced trees.
The area where this plant grows stretches from around Derby in the west. It goes across the top end of the Northern Territory. Then it continues east to places like Cape Melville in North Queensland. It can also be found as far south as Clermont.
